Hey guys!

First off, I'll apologise in advance for the length of this post. I have a tournament this Saturday and, while I know it's late, I'd like to get an opinion on the below three lists and which one you think is better. I'd like to keep these ships as much as possible, so try limit comments to the ships' builds...unless, of course, you know of the next best thing since sliced bread!

LIST 1 [100]

• Colonel Jendon - Lambda-Class Shuttle | PS6 [37]
  > Collision Detector
  > Emperor Palpatine
  > ST-321 title
• Omega Leader - TIE/fo Fighter |PS8 [26]
  > Juke
  > Comm Relay
• Colonel Vessery - TIE Defender |PS5/7 [37]
  > Adaptability
  > Tractor Beam
  >Twin Ion Engine Mk.II
  > TIE/D title

LIST 2 [99]

• Omicron Group Pilot - Lambda-Class Shuttle | PS2 [32]
  > Collision Detector
  > Emperor Palpatine
  > ST-321 title
• Omega Leader - TIE/fo Fighter |PS8 [29]
  > Juke
  > Hull Upgrade
  > Comm Relay
• Colonel Vessery - TIE Defender |PS8 [38]
  > Veteran Instinct
  > Tractor Beam
  > Twin Ion Engine Mk.II
  > TIE/D title

The second list can help against lists with PS8 ships (like Miranda or Ketsu). The first has OL with both an Evade and a Target Lock by the end of first turn...though I'm not sure if it's worth not having Vessery at PS8 and OL without the extra Hull.

Both lists can substitute Vessery for:

• Darth Vader - TIE Advanced |PS8/10 or 11 [37/38]
  > Adaptability/Veteran Instinct
  > Cruise Missile
  > Engine Upgrade
  > TIE/x1 title
  > Advanced Targeting Computer

...though I have a feeling he'd be better in the first list with Jendon handing him his first TL in turn 1 or 2 (before or after OL). Thing is...a Vessery with a constant TL on both his tractor beam AND his primary is pretty **** strong. Vader is better if I come across lists with higher PS, but I feel Vessery is strong.

Alternatively I have a third option:

LIST 3 [100]

• Omicron Group Pilot - Lambda-Class Shuttle | PS2 [32]
  > Collision Detector
  > Emperor Palpatine
  > ST-321 title
• Colonel Vessery - TIE Defender |PS8 [38]
  > Veteran Instinct
  > Tractor Beam
  > Twin Ion Engine Mk.II
  > TIE/D title
• Darth Vader - TIE Advanced |PS8/10 [30]
  > Adaptability
  > TIE/x1 title
  > Advanced Targeting Computer

I don't know how much not having the Cruise Missile and Engine upgrade would hurt Vader, though.

Thoughts?

I do not think Vader needs the CM that much. EU is very nice on him but also expensive.

I would put VI on Vader and give vessery a score to settle

You apparently really want to use that shuttle.

I think getting that Target Lock, while important, is not so important that you absolutely have to have it going in. I've flown quite a bit of Vader and he does just fine at getting his own Target Lock when in range. I usually fly a Juke Vader, so Evading and TLing is just fine for a turn. So, all this to say, just drop ST-321 to keep your costs down. Throw something else on the shuttle if you must, or switch to Vader Vessery + Palp. It'd be pretty brutal.

Also, if you really need to add something to Omega Leader to fill points, I'd go Stealth Device. She gets really hard to hit fast once you have a Target Lock on your attacker.

Here you go:

Omicron Group Pilot [Collision Detector, Emperor Palpatine] (29)
Colonel Vessery [Juke, TIE/x7] (35)
Darth Vader [TIE/x1, Lone Wolf, Engine Upgrade, Advanced Targeting Computer] (36)

This should do pretty well. Vader will be nice and tanky between having Lone Wolf and Palp access. Vessery gets his evades from the title and can use it for defense and/or to juke. It's a simple list, but should be easy and forgiving to fly.

10 minutes ago, BanthaFather said:

Here you go:

Omicron Group Pilot [Collision Detector, Emperor Palpatine] (29)
Colonel Vessery [Juke, TIE/x7] (35)
Darth Vader [TIE/x1, Lone Wolf, Engine Upgrade, Advanced Targeting Computer] (36)

This should do pretty well. Vader will be nice and tanky between having Lone Wolf and Palp access. Vessery gets his evades from the title and can use it for defense and/or to juke. It's a simple list, but should be easy and forgiving to fly.

Thanks Bantha. But that is a very stereotypical build for Vessery and I never liked it. I'm purposely trying to steer clear of an x7 Defender. I also would prefer a VI Vader (or at least Adaptability Vader) as I have a feeling there are going to be quite a few Ace pilots with PS9 or above...

Just now, Glyph said:

Thanks Bantha. But that is a very stereotypical build for Vessery and I never liked it. I'm purposely trying to steer clear of an x7 Defender. I also would prefer a VI Vader (or at least Adaptability Vader) as I have a feeling there are going to be quite a few Ace pilots with PS9 or above...

Then I would do VI Vader, and Predator Vessery

If you want to keep vessery/omega/palp I'd get rid of the shuttle title, on the omnicron and upgrade vessery's elite to Expertise, so you have Tl+focus for both attacks and still have a focus for defense.

I'd vote list 3, but drop the shuttle title and VI or Ions on Vessery to give Vader EU. Vader without boost always feels clunky to me.

Between Vader and OL, I don't think OL will push through enough damage.

OL is wonderful. I love her. And by that, I mean I hate to fly against her. I'd keep her. Honestly, I don't know if the Palp Shuttle is worth it with these builds. I might use all 3 of those aces instead. If you want to keep the shuttle, I'd go with Omicron, Collision Detector, Palp, then Expertise TIE/D Vessery with Tractor Beam, and OL. Palp can be used to push through the Tractor Beam, OL is the most annoying wasp in the game, and Vessery hits like a truck.

I also think that the palp shuttle is just not worth it. Palp still has value on a decimator, but the shuttle just can't contribute enough (unless you put engine upgrade on it, but then it gets expensive).

I think what you really need along side Vessery and Omega Leader is Quickdraw:

QD w/ VI, title, FCS & LWF = 34

Vess w/ VI, TIE/D & ion cannon = 39

OL w/ Juke & Comm Relay = 26

99

3 ships that your opponent wants to destroy first, but has to pick one (although the right choice is to go after Vessery first). You can muddle their choice a bit by keeping Vessery furthest back, so he doesn't present himself as a tempting target. Ion cannon is also better than tractor beam---it is a hard counter against Nym, Miranda, Fenn and any other small ship with 2 or less agility. Its still dangerous against large ships (but takes 2 turns to really ruin them).

54 minutes ago, blade_mercurial said:

I also think that the palp shuttle is just not worth it. Palp still has value on a decimator, but the shuttle just can't contribute enough (unless you put engine upgrade on it, but then it gets expensive).

I think what you really need along side Vessery and Omega Leader is Quickdraw:

QD w/ VI, title, FCS & LWF = 34

Vess w/ VI, TIE/D & ion cannon = 39

OL w/ Juke & Comm Relay = 26

99

3 ships that your opponent wants to destroy first, but has to pick one (although the right choice is to go after Vessery first). You can muddle their choice a bit by keeping Vessery furthest back, so he doesn't present himself as a tempting target. Ion cannon is also better than tractor beam---it is a hard counter against Nym, Miranda, Fenn and any other small ship with 2 or less agility. Its still dangerous against large ships (but takes 2 turns to really ruin them).

I played this list for like 20 times and won 2/3 of the matches. Vessery can really wreak havoc with this build. The Advantage is that both other ships can get the target lock for vessery. Quickdraw can set the target lock after shooting. I would recommend twin ion engine on vessery. If you do not have it, it will be very hard to remove the stress from vessery without being too predictable.

15 hours ago, Executor256 said:

I played this list for like 20 times and won 2/3 of the matches. Vessery can really wreak havoc with this build. The Advantage is that both other ships can get the target lock for vessery. Quickdraw can set the target lock after shooting. I would recommend twin ion engine on vessery. If you do not have it, it will be very hard to remove the stress from vessery without being too predictable.

The initiative bid is more important. You need your PS8 ships to move last against Miranda. It is a huge benefit because Miranda moving last against them can easily outfly them (and while you do have PS11 Quickdraw, having Vess and his ion cannon move last just makes Miranda super miserable and so much easier to kill)

So I submitted my list. It has:

• Omicron Group Pilot - Lambda-class shuttle | PS2 [32]
  > Collision Detector
  > Emperor Palpatine
  > ST-321
• Colonel Vessery - TIE Defender | PS8 [38]
  > Veteran Instincts
  > Tractor Beam
  > Twin Ion Engine Mk.II
  > TIE/D
• "Omega Leader" - TIE/fo Fighter | PS8 [29]
  > Juke
  > Stealth Device
  > Comm Relay

I'll let you all know how I do!

Hey all!

So I came 3rd out of 6 in the tournament, winning 3 out of my 5 games (we were so few and everyone wanted to play as many games as possible that we decided to play a game against everyone). My opening game saw me beating the winner of the tournament, who only lost against me...so I'm pretty proud about that.